Pretoria - So confident is music producer InQfive in his abilities that he calls himself “The Special One”.
“It’s very simple; I believe no one can do what I do; we are all born different,” said InQfive.
Anyone who has listened to his songs such as Fake Love, Discreet Saxophone and Ngenelela, featuring Lizwi as well as Back in the Days, featuring KG Smallz, will without a doubt agree that InQfive is indeed the special one.
For InQfive, every time he plays these songs, they make him remember where he has been and the things he was going through in his life when he composed them. They are classics and will always be special to him.
The 25-year-old was born Tshepang Mpinga in Daveyton and raised in Boksburg. He is one of the youngest and best producers flying the Afrohouse genre flag in the country and beyond.
However, he was not always InQfive. He used to go by the name of DJ Triger.
“I decided to change to InQfive because I wanted to promote a different and unique brand to people. I actually named myself InQfive while I was star-gazing at midnight,” he explained.
“When I started learning how to make music I used to produce deep house; I still do today, but went on to be versatile by trying to do Afrohouse.”
He loves Afrohouse and is impressed by the quality and creativity that producers are bringing to the game. And if producers can work together more, they will grow even more because their sound has already gone international.
“My music is more of a storytelling with dark keys and soothing chords to stimulate the emotions. Most of my creative process happens at night, especially late hours when it’s quiet.”
The producer oozes confidence when asked what sets him apart from his peers. He said: “I have a unique timeless touch that I apply to my productions. There is always something to remember when listening to my songs. On any given day you can press play and have a good time.”
It was not always smoothing sailing for InQfive. As he said, when he first started it was a bit too hard to get a clear direction for his sound. But that did not discourage him, and he kept going and sharpened his craft by creating new music every day.
Along the way he found his groove and people started following the sound. In his words: “I was always worried
that I was not doing it right. But it turned out all I needed was patience.”
He draws his musical inspiration from 104 BPM, who he says keeps him going. “Listening to his sounds makes me believe in what I do. The other producers that influence me the most are XtetiQsoul and Enoo Napa.”
InQfive has also worked with the who’s who in the industry, including Echo Deep, Thab De Soul, Lizwi, DJ Dulaz, Dust Nkosi, Native Tribe, Demented Soul, DJTwo4, TorQue MusiQ and “many, many others”.
Good news for his fans is that he has no intention to slow down. Most importantly, he loves what he does.
“Being a producer and artist goes hand in hand; but being an artist allows you to be at the forefront, people get to know you quicker because you present yourself as an artist.”
As a producer, he finds this less enjoyable because it keeps him behind the scenes.
He laughs when asked what music he listens to.
“I am currently listening to InQfive; I love his music a lot! I listen to my own music more often.”
Most of his energy is focused on building a stable record label that will represent InQfive and help other artists.
His wish for the music industry is to see artists given fair contracts and taught the business side of the sector. Most artists sign contracts that they don’t even understand, according to InQfive.
“So far, I am proud that I got to work with Dustinity Records from Pinetown, and we shot two music videos – one with Lizwi and the other with Manqoba, a radio presenter at Vuma FM.
“I’ve been getting several spins from radio stations, national and local. I’ve had interviews on Voice of Wits FM and Lesedi FM. I’m happy that in 2020 I had to open my own record label.”
When not making music, he looks after his family.
“They matter most to me,” he says. “I love watching them grow. I have never been employed in my life and have always worked for myself.”
Pretoria News